The key difference is: the SLMM is seeking at least a prior political understanding on the “timeline and framework” of state demarcation while the major parties have proposed settling the issue through a political committee in three months from the date of its formation.During a meeting with major parties on Thursday, SLMM leaders reiterated that they had no objection to three-month timeframe for resolving the demarcation row if major parties define legality and terms of reference of the proposed political committee, categorise disputed districts and make an unequivocal pledge for one more province in the Tarai plains.
Even if both sides agree on a framework of state demarcation, which the taskforces formed by the SLMM and major parties hope to achieve through ongoing deliberations, constituency delineation and laws pertaining to inclusive proportional representation are likely to tie both sides in knots.
Madhes-based parties have proposed making population the sole basis for constituency delineation and representation of federal provinces in the national assembly. If population is made the sole basis of constituency delineation, the Tarai plains will have 83 out of 165 electoral constancies—and more representation—as the Tarai is home to 51.5 percent of total population.In addition, the current Madhes province will have twofold more representation in the national assembly than sparsely populated provinces of Mid and Far-Western regions.
The SLMM has also insisted that the list of population clusters entitled to special protection from the state and reservation in state bodies should be revisited sothat Article 42 could be more specific on “who will benefit proportional representation and how”.
The Constitution Amendment Bill, waiting a vote in Parliament, has taken both population and geography into account, enlisted 17 population clusters entitled to protection from state and equal representation of all federal provinces in the national assembly.Taskforces engaged in informal deliberations since Wednesday are hopeful about finding a meeting point on revision of federal boundaries.
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